The Bullroarer - Friday 5th June 2009

A quick one today, so that you have time to read the two "Trouble With Energy" posts below :-)

NY Times - Australia Feels Chill as China’s Shadow Grows

If outlanders tend to associate Australia with kangaroos, broad-brim leather hats and an opera house, many Australians are different. They think of iron ore and bauxite, copper and coal, nickel, gold and uranium, a trove of mineral riches that is their nation’s birthright and the bedrock of its prosperity.

Which explains much of the breast-beating that has ensued since the Chinese announced plans this year to buy a big chunk of it.

Voxy.com.nz - Climate Change Freezes In New Zealand

Across New Zealand hundreds of people "froze" today. They came together at 1pm in public places and became human statues - stopping and standing for united action on climate change. Some politicians even froze with them. Today is World Environment Day, and this year's theme is 'uniting to combat climate change'. A nation-wide Freeze was organised by a team of volunteers to spread that message. The Freeze was led by a mysterious character called "Mr Freeze", who is only known to the public through his page on Facebook. Mr Freeze expressed his enthusiasm for the day by stating "I'm melting with joy." He added that "It takes courage to freeze in a public place. Freezing on your own is freaky. Freezing with five people is sneaky. Freezing with lots of people is easy. It's the same with action on climate change. It's much easier for us to play our part, and it's a lot more effective, when we come together."

Brisbane Times - Rio's change of heart raises concerns

A new joint venture agreed by BHP Billiton Ltd and Rio Tinto Ltd could frustrate major Chinese customers, an analyst says.

TV NZ - Export boost comes to an abrupt halt for Aust

The support from exports that helped the economy avoid a recession in the first three months of the year looks like being short-lived after slumping 11% in April.

The steep fall in exports saw the nation's monthly trade position tumble to a small deficit in April, ending eight months of sizeable surpluses.

Scoop.co.nz - Diesel up after nine weeks without change

Petrol and diesel prices both increased during May, reversing the trend of the last few months. Petrol twice rose five cents per litre, up from $1.54 per litre for 91 octane in the main centres to $1.64 per litre. Diesel rose 3 cents per litre to $1.02, the first increase in diesel prices in more than nine weeks.

AA senior policy analyst Mark Stockdale says the rise in pump prices reflects increased costs on the international market, partly due to seasonal demand but also the declining value of the United States dollar.

Scoop.co.nz - Cannabis Party Has Answer To The Recession
Hey - at least they HAVE a plan.

Now as the oil industry faces decline, cannabis hemp once again emerges as the economic saviour of mankind. All of New Zealand's fuel requirements for transportation and electricity production could be met with locally grown Hemp. Hemp fuel could be produced at low cost, with practically no environmental impact. The proof of this is the $100,000 challenge. For over twenty years US$ 100,000 has been offered to anyone who can prove the following claim wrong:

ABC - Local councils, governments urged to embrace renewable energy

The report covers an area from Young to Eden, including the ACT, and examines future sustainability challenges and opportunities.

Commissioner Maxine Cooper says the region has enormous potential to embrace renewable energy.

"We have sources in terms of wind, solar, there's a whole suite of renewable energy sources in this region that we can tap, and the advantages of having renewable energy in this region in terms of distribution is that it's right near some key population areas," she said.

ABC - World oil supply has peaked: expert

An energy expert says the world has already reached peak oil supply.

Professor Kjell Aleklatt heads an energy research group at Uppsala University in Sweden.

His team has found oil production will fall 25 per cent below a level widely accepted by policy makers and economists by 2030.

Herald Sun - Public transport patronage grows 13.2 per cent in a year

MORE Melburnians than ever are using public transport, with patronage across trains, trams and buses up 13.2 per cent on last year.

Cannabis solutions.

Not tittering or sniggering. I leave that to the evolutionaryly challanged.

Read it and would like to know more. How do the economics pan out? How many hectares of plantation would be needed per passenger mile aircraft travel? etc.
Can this plan increase my chances of getting breakfast?

Arthur

Mining 'more important' than farming
Well, at least he's staked out his position, I suppose.

The Mining Amendment Bill, which would ban any new mining on areas defined as prime agricultural land, was also defeated in parliament on Thursday.

"Ultimately mines generate many, many more jobs than agricultural production," Mr Rees said.

...

Nationals leader Warren Truss criticised the NSW government's stance.

A spokesman for Mr Truss told AAP the statements "sound like they're coming from people more concerned about mining royalties than food security".

Mining had built the nation, however "you can't eat coal," the spokesman said.

(emphasis added)
FSM! Common sense from a member of the National Party!
Then again, Tim Fisher is a railway nut who supports a rebuilding of Australia's rail network, so maybe there's hope for them (and us) yet!

Wong and Garett conspire to kill $8000 Solar Rebate three weeks early.

The Hon. Peter Garrett MP
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Senator the Hon. Penny Wong
Minister for Climate Change and Water
Government continues to grow renewable energy industry

Joint Media Release
9 June 2009

...

The Government will bring the application period for rebates under the Solar Homes and Communities Plan to a conclusion today, with Solar Credits to be provided upon passage of the RET legislation for systems installed from today onwards.

...

Completed applications for the Solar Homes and Communities Plan which have already been sent, or are sent by today, Tuesday 9 June, will be accepted for assessment, while all new installations of small-scale solar, wind and hydro systems will be eligible for Solar Credits from today.

Disgraceful. No-notice cessation of the program cuts out who knows how many people who would have otherwise bought systems.
As an example, I had only just convinced my mother, after months of nagging, to install one of the 'cheap' systems (she chose a $695 system), and almost simultaneously, convinced my other half's family to install a similar system. Now they're cut out of the Rebate, and a system will cost probably $3000 more, thenks to the unbelivably flawed Solar Credits program.
If I had any respect left for Wong, Garrett, and Rudd, it's all gone now. We might as well have left Howard in.

The only benefit of the new Solar Credits system is that it makes additional installations cheaper. The first kW will now cost maybe $3000 instead of $0 - $1500, but each additional kW will cost the same $3000, compared to the old Rebate program stopping at a hard $8000 total.
The problem is that you have to sell your RECs to get he cost of the system down to this level. RECs are counted towards the MRET, and with 5 RECs being given out for every 1 REC worth of Renewably-generated electricity, the Govt can claim to be meeting the MRET target despite the Green electricity not actually being generated.
How this Government manages to deliver so many badly-designed programs I'll never know. Have they been taking lessons on 'how to deliver nothing and still claim victory' from [former Coalition Communications Minister] Helen Coonan?